Journey Day 383 | CDT Day 46

We followed jeep roads along the Continental Divide in Idaho.

7/29/87

An excellent slumbering with the return to my natural norm. Slow emerging, but easy to munch the rest of those soft-batch cookies while getting my gear together.

We follow the creek ravine up, then begin a day of step ascents with one on a jeep road. All bushwhacking from ridge, great views, but tough pay-out in sweat and strain. See elk early, also later on Elk Mountain, which we eventually get on after a series of steep ups between breaks. All open country - beautifully sunny. After deciphering summit question, we begin to make our way off on a jeep road. But we leave the right ridge. It was apparently steeper than the ridge we chose, which was precipitous in the end.

Soon we find a spring and take lunch, I pepperoni, Kool-aid and peanut butter. Then on down the ridge, but it becomes steep, we hang, find trail that takes us to a creek below, then up the Divide again. Resume ups and downs, but on jeep road.

Thunderstorm hits, of course while we're on an exposed ridge. No nearby claps, but its soggy on the “Idyho” side.

Taking a stormy break along the Idaho border.

Clears, so we break before climbing, check out Baldy Mountain, a big doe, then a long ridge walk that features poles and sign warning of danger due to traps to catch harmful animals.

Sunny again, I lag on the ridge and the walk takes forever. Eventually we 're down off the ridge to a spring and camp in a ravine off the Divide. Eat, talk, pitch, crash as usual. Update this log in fading light.